Living Room 3D Printer by Chip Bollendonk

Project Description

3D printing has recently exploded as both an engineering technology and commercially-accessible tool, and I wanted to explore how I could make a custom-built 3D printer part of my home. Unfortunately, many DIY printers and kits tend to be messy collections of wires, motors, and metal, which would look out-of-place in many people’s homes (especially for folks without a dedicated workshop area). My challenge: build a 3D printer (from scratch) and implement modern home aesthetics to create an attractive and functional printer that would fit into a living room as easily as it would an engineering workspace.

Over the course of ten weeks, I designed and built a 3D printer (following the design of a RepRap Prusa i3) and an integrated stand. I’m quite happy with how it turned out, and I certainly learned about the importance of considering aesthetics during all parts of the design cycle. I look forward to continuing working on this project for many years to come, and having it as part of my home.